The island nation was severely impacted by Intense Cyclone Fung-wong, which left a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of more than 1.4 million individuals.
Authorities stated that the powerful weather system caused widespread sudden floods, storm surges, mudslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the evacuation of millions of residents nationwide.
Widespread Destruction and Rescue Efforts
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded floodwaters reaching the tops of houses and residences washed out by the powerful currents.
Our team rescued fourteen people stranded on the roof engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” a disaster-mitigation officer explained. “A father also called in panic, reporting the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We saved him and four relatives.”
By Monday, authorities confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim in Catanduanes and a second individual killed when her house collapsed in eastern Samar.
Typhoon Strength and Projected Path
The intense storm weakened to a severe tropical storm on Monday morning while moving over the Philippines’ largest island, where the capital is located.
Per meteorological authorities, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, but gusts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is projected to continue weakening as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Response and Recovery
The national disaster response service indicated efforts were ongoing to evaluate destruction on buildings and roads.
Roughly 6,000 evacuation centres have been opened to temporarily house tens of thousands of households.
Previous Storms and Environmental Factors
Fung-wong struck shortly following another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives and left another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Searches for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
The climate crisis is causing cyclones stronger and common. This typhoon marks the twenty-first storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Researchers have found that the frequency of intense cyclones hitting the Philippines has increased by more than 100% over the last two decades.
International estimates indicate that severe weather events cause an average of millions in dollars in damage to the country every year.
The nation’s leader declared an emergency declaration on Thursday due to the severe damage from Kalmaegi and the expected damage from the new storm.
